Remember I mentioned our Cane Corso emergency foster, Cleo/Chloe? Well, she poked a massive paw at random and picked Number 9 ALL GIRL MAFIA! So gmail your evilauntieanita with the details and I will send out the Pichola sample!
So……..I was going to talk to you about perfumes – really, I was! – but I have been on the road for the bulk of the last week, doing the strangest things. First, I went to Dixon to pick up those parts and at the corner of the block there was this Boo Radley -looking house, with a sign that said ‘Eggs’. My own hens were on strike and I really cannot eat market eggs anymore so I asked the parts guy if the place was legit (hey! I read Silence of the Lambs and I used to watch Criminal Minds. I know how this could go down! – the Parts guy vetted the Egg guy and so I went over, figuring it was 2p and if they were in cahoots I could hopefully make a break for it before they turned the hose on me). Egg guy turned out to be a very charming fellow, with his charming little yapping dogs….I stayed on the enclosed porch while he shooed the dogs from the door…and then there was this giant black shadow…which I thought was a giant black dog…which turned out to be a giant black PIG! Maybe I’m not enough of a country girl yet but…I really was not expecting a pig. Y’know? But the pig was civilized and rather charming (for a giant pig) and I managed to stop my unruly tongue before I crooned ‘baaaacon’….because it was obvious that Egg Guy was not going to be breakfasting on his giant pal there, anymore than I would lunch on one of my dogs.
Dogs. So Cleo/Chloe. Y’all know that we lost our babydog back in the Summer and I was not at all interested in taking in or taking on another pup right now. I’ve had the responsibility of dogs for 30 yrs and I was enjoying just being able to pick up and go as I pleased. But I am on both a Rottweiler and a Cane Corso rescue list for short-term foster and transport. And when you put your name on those lists and you get The Call, you need to walk your talk if at all possible. There was a failed adoption nearby and the dog needed extraction immediately (sometimes people lose their minds and do awful things, like turning the dog loose or taking it to a shelter). Cane Corso Rescue called in a panic and…. we stepped in and took her. As you guys know, I am Working Dog-centric and have a thang for Rotties &Corsos. sbnation.com did one of the funniest posts ever about the Terrifying Dogs in Westminster’s Working Group , in which they describe the Corso as a ‘Bronze Age War Dog, with modern styling and performance‘. And walking down the street with Miss Chloe, I can imagine how Roman generals would’ve valued these dogs for their strength, intelligence, dominance and loyalty. If you think I haven’t imagined myself in a chariot……
she is one of the scariest-looking, sweetest-natured dogs on the planet …we’re working on some basic housebreaking skills – it is thought that she is a breeder refugee from a puppy mill (Animal Control found her, emaciated and terrified, on the streets in NY. How they didn’t put her down is a miracle). Her original fosters (Blessed are Those who Foster First) believe she’d never been in a house – at one point she tried to climb in the dishwasher! They were SO patient with her)….anyhoo, she is now safe and we will get her weight up and her skills honed so she can be adopted by the RIGHT people, who will love her forever.
I’m blatheratin’ on about her because she is a doll and I am honored to be part of the crew that will help her find the right family she so richly deserves. This is inconvenient as hell – and there’s a chance she will be with us for several months and it’s gonna cut into my free time something awful – but sometimes you’ve just gotta walk your talk. And sometimes, money is not the only answer. So she’s here. She’s safe. She’s loved. That’s all that really matters right now. Hey, a gal’s gotta sleep at night, y’know? Can you imagine if I’d said ‘no’? Neither can I.
I know a lot of you do rescue/foster (and thank you!) but in case you have not – but are thinking of doing it, please do consider. Corsos and other big breeds are not for everybody – but not every dog is a big dog. And lots of dogs need somebody to just give them time to catch their breath while they wait for their furever home.
And I wore Gold to go pick her up – and we’ve been working the perfume armoire every day. She chose Iris 39 for me today, bless her heart. Perfect for the sudden chill and harsh angles of light after a near-80F day yesterday. Ahhhh, Spring in the Midwest. At least we don’t have snow!
What’s up with my Posse darlings? I feel like celebrating so tell me yet another story and Miss Chloe will continue to hone her mad random.org skills! I’ve got a lovely sample of Mohur EXTRAIT that will swoon the socks right offa the lucky winner! And maybe a couple of other leetle fabulosities…..?
Kudos to you for taking on a big puppy! I’ve only ever had little guys around and I’m not sure my big dog skills would be up to snuff.
She looks so sweet! I love that picture. We just adopted a puppy so I can’t even imagine how much more work a pup with sone serious baggage might be. Bless you!
I have a sample of regular Mohur I keep coming back to. It is so interesting. I would love to smell the extrait version.
Just lost my baby girl, a rescue basset I’d had for 13 years, and while I’m not ready to consider another permanent resident right now, I have been thinking about fostering. Thanks for the nudge! Wearing Shalimar Souffle today to get me through a meh day at work and then an hour or so at the dentist… Sigh. Need all the comfort I can get!
It’s always lovely to hear about animals finding their people!
We are currently ‘fostering’ a pregnant cat, except just for a friend, to get a turn with a cat and figure out if we could be suited to one as a group. My dog when I was a kid was a stray that I had befriended at my grandmother’s house as a toddler–also probably escaped from a puppy mill. She was the sweetest dog I ever met and I still miss her almost 2 decades later. Wish my life could support a dog– I tend to like the mellower, more independent larger breeds.
Please do count me in.
Oh, sweetie, I love, love, love it that you now have Ms. Chloe in the house! You are amazing, and will be so good for her (and she for you). I do love it when good people (and animals) get together. Of course, DNEM. Hugs to all of you!
Hubband volunteers at the greyhound kennel and I do my best to pick up supplies for them when I can. I used to work at a shelter and did consider fostering but I’m not sure I’d be able to let them go to another home after having them for a while. Even if I could do it, I don’t think the hubband could. Someday maybe we’ll give it a try.
She’s a beauty but I think she would scare the crap out of a lot people. Im happy she’s getting a chance at a normal happy life. So many dogs don’t get that. It must be nice to have another girl in the house for you.
Our friends in NC recently got a pet pig. They are completely head over heels for her too. I can’t imagine a pig running around the house.
That article at sbnation.com is really funny. Mizz Cleo seems like a pretty awesome dog, and the right home would be lucky to have her. I don’t have a dog myself, but I get a good dose of pup love from my friend’s dog, who is a Boxer-Chihuahua mix (which seems like a logistically challenging combo). She took him in as a stray. He’s just over a year old, and he’s super sweet. I call him the Maniacal Love Monster.
Oh yeah.. I was thinkin’ about pups and forgot about the Mohur. Thanks for the draw! I haven’t tried the extrait but I have had a sample of the EdP and really liked it.
Chloe is beautiful! Thank you so much for helping out a giant puppy in need of some love and care 🙂
Kudos to you for welcoming that beautiful pup into your loving home!
Thank you for the draw…I’m gaga over Mohur and have been just itching to try the extrait 🙂
That is a sweet looking puppy. Our two dogs came from an animal rescue in Waco. We gotten because our younger son was terrified of dogs. They are cavalier King Charles mixed with Bichon and sweet as they can be. We got two rescue kittens on Christmas Eve. Throw in two goldfish and two boys and you have quite the menagerie. Thanks for the drawing!
I do love the rescue stories. 🙂 My bff is a rottie rescue fail, while I’m a setter rescue fail. She told the rescue she’d take 2, if needed, and now has 4. At least 2 of them will never leave that house alive (and I mean that in a good way!), because she falls in love as easily as I do. I currently have 2 rescues – one is an English setter and one is 1/2 Irish, 1/2 Gordon setter, as well as my own Irish boy. Both my rescue kiddos are needy – one is elderly and has health issues and the other has emotional issues – which we are addressing. But it makes them poor candidates for a furever home. Besides, our motley little family has bonded and it just wouldn’t be the same without any of them. I have managed to allow previous fosters to be adopted – lol – so I’m only slightly hopeless, not totally hopeless.
Chloe (Cleo?) is quite an elegant girl. And no matter how imposing she may appear, I can easily see the gentleness in her eyes in that picture. Big dogs, unless trained for it, are so seldom naturally aggressive. I’m more fearful of the little ankle-biter sized poochies than I am of the big boys and girls. My girlfriends’ rotties are such pussycats and couch potatoes that it always astonishes me when people look frightened when they see them.
What a great thing to do! I have a pit rescue and she is wonderful- an amazing sense of humor and lovable as all get out. No other animal provides such a wide variety of services for mankind as a dog and it upsets me how some people mistreat them.
Please enter me in your outstanding draw and thank you- for both the dog and perfume!
I’ve had dogs underfoot (and blankets, and desks, and on the coffee table, and yes, trying to get in the dish washer-what the hell?) for 20 years now, as many as three at a time. When our oldest dies (he’s sixteen), we’re planning to foster. Around here that might well mean greyhounds.
Thank you for another draw. They make such nice surprises.
I am learning all sorts of things on this blog! A corso looks like a big satisfying hunk of dog, I have never heard of them.
We have 2 dogs, one of whom was rescued from people down the road. I used to cry every time I passed the house, but my husband is a smooth talker and came home with her one day!
PS I would also give Mohur Extrait a good home!
Chloe is absolutely gorgeous! I love big dogs but haven’t had one for ages since Bat does not like canines at all and goes all demon-cat on them.
As I’m a sucker for animals, I had once long ago a scorpion, two kittens, two lab puppies, and a Husky/Akita mix all living in the college dorms. I managed to find homes for all of them eventually but the logistics of shuffling all those animals around during inspections was a hoot. I had some poor suckers who helped out in the boy’s side as the male and female dorm inspections were never on the same day. I still can’t believe we weren’t caught.
On the subject of house pigs, I grew up around people who did that and still find it odd. I like pigs and raised them as a kid but they are for outside! One of my childhood friends had two pigs and two raccoons living in her tiny house along with about five large dogs. Really, really unnerving to open a kitchen cabinet and have to wrestle a critter for a cake pan.
Awwwww! She’s such a sweet girl, too!
So nice to see the photo of Miss Chloe–good on you for fostering her! I have four feline homeys whose rescue is but a dim memory (for them, I mean). My sister just adopted a 12 year old golden retriever, saving her from a kill shelter [shudder]. I love animals of all kinds, even though I am a little intimidated by the big ones–horses, especially.
What a cutie! My golden is a rescue and it breaks my heart to think about such a sweet and silly pup having to go through the hell that his last owner put him through. He’s getting up there in age, and right now his back legs are bothering him. 🙁
I’d like to try for the Mohur, please!
Chloe is a beautiful girl. I have had a houseful ( at least 3) rescued ex-racing greyhounds for the past 12 years. Current silliness includes 2 ex racers and one Galgo ( Spanish Greyhound) puppy because apparently, I didn’t have enough going on in my life and needed a puppy 🙂
Galgos are used for hunting and then destroyed en masse or left to starve at the end of hunting season.He is bright and active and affectionate and did I mention active !!!
Please do not enter me – I have been gifted with a set of the Neela Vemeire scents lately, including some of the extrait. Whoever wins this beauty will be so happy.
Please give Chloe a kiss from me and my pack of sillysaurs.
She looks like a real sweetie, how wonderful of you to take her in! I have two little Papillons that are the light of my life. Puppy love is the best! And I would really really love to sniff the Mohur Extrait. 🙂
Cane Corsos are beautiful dogs. I have a Boerboel and we occassionally foster dogs. The rescues I’ve been working with generally get medium sized dogs, but that doesn’t allow my dog to really play with them, given he’s 130 lbs. He holds back with the smaller dogs but I notice at doggyday care he really goes to town playing with the dogs his own size so I’m trying to get another mastiff type dog for our next foster. We are heading to North Chicago animal control on Saturday to see if there is a large breed that is compatible with my dog as well as cats (I have 2) that we can foster, with the hopes that my dog will have a playmate for awhile. Anyhow, for anyone who hasn’t done it, fostering is a wonderful way to help animals in need. Please enter me in the drawing for the extract. I could do with something to knock my socks off as its been a long, dull winter here.
How can you say she’s scary looking? Just look at that sweet face! What a doll and so lucky she has you to care for her for awhile. Being a huge animal lover and having had more than my share of rescued pets in my life, I am so grateful to people like you who rescue these babies so we can later adopt them. I tried fostering once but it was so hard giving them up I haven’t tried again. So thank you to those of you who can love and then let go. Please give Cleo a kiss on her big fuzzy head and whisper in her ear that I’d love to win the extrait. Thanks, as always, for your wonderful post.
Awww, I am so glad you and Miss Chloe have found each other. What a BEAUTIFUL dog. She looks happy as a lark in that photo, and I bet you do feel like a baller walking around with her. What lovely ladies.
How were your eggs from the egg guy? I am so excited for the return of our farmer’s market here this spring. We can get good eggs at some of our grocery stores, but they’re usually pricier and we have fewer fresh options. We have a vendor at one of the farmer’s markets that has the BEST duck eggs, so I am eagerly awaiting for this Saturday, in hopes that he will be out there.
I never heard of this breed before but she is gorgeous 🙂 We have a rotating crew of rescue cats. There are always more on the streets of Brooklyn! Today I’m wearing Pacifica’s Lotus Garden, which is very green and occasionally reminds me of a gin and tonic.
Good morning! I absolutely love the big dog breeds! And to be honest, the little bitty ones are the ones hat I keep an eye on here at work-they’ll get snappy and meaner wayyy quicker than the big ones! (no offense to little breed owners!!)….right now I have a head cold, hurt all over and don’t have much else to say except that I would just love to be entered in the draw. I have not tried any of that line, but it sounds just wonderful. Have a good one, and thank you!!
Miss Chloe is so precious. Very glad you were able to take her in, she is good for your soul <3
Back in the early 90's we bought a Golden Retriever puppy we named Stella. In 2000 while living in Hawaii we bought our first Bullmastiff, a Brindle male from Australia we named Koa which means Chief or Warrior in Hawaiian.
Miss Stella went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2003. We moved to Key West and I came upon this thing called Facebook. There were so many Bullmastiff's on Facebook that were in need of rescue so we decided to get Koa a friend. We rescued an Apricot female Bullmastiff named LuLu. She was such a sweetheart. Her time with us was very short, she passed away from heart failure at age 4 just 6 months after we got her.
ABARS ( American Bullmastiff Association Rescue Service ) felt so bad about LuLu passing that they got us another apricot female ( no adoption fee ) just 2 weeks later. We named her Bunny.This was all in 2007.
Koa passed away from cancer in Aug. of 2010. 2 weeks later we got a fawn male named Gunther from ABARS. Then in Dec. of 2010 our daughter could no longer keep her dog. We rescued Rebelina, a half Pit/ half Choc. Lab female.
So…….we have our crazy crew of 3. They have brought us SO much joy. Rescues are such special animals, I really feel like WE have been rescued instead of them. Thanks for the giveaway <3
I needed a happy story today, so I’m glad to read this! We rescued two cats, and while it’s certainly different (size-wise, at least), my two can both be handfuls in their own ways. The older cat had lived on the street and I’m grateful to the foster who took care of his sweet little self before we came along. When we brought him home, he was terrified to the point of starving himself. Years later, he’s an assertively affectionate little shadow with atomic-clock precision when it comes to the breakfast hour. For all their flaws, the kitties are constant bright spots in my life and I feel inconceivably lucky to have them here to hassle me. Someday, when we have more space, maybe we’ll add a dog to the mix.
What a beautiful dog that is, and how lucky she is to be with you! I’m on college break so mostly working off my sleep deprivation/taking it easy. No dogs, but we’ve got a cat and two bob-tail kittens running mad over the place. Thanks for the giveaway!
Oooh, she’s a beautie! Her big ol’ head and shoulders make me wanna sit beside her, with an arm wrapped around that chest. Big dog chests make that great thunking sound. Chloe is lucky to have you! Thanks for the introduction and photo. This warms my heart. Be well!
Oh how I admire people who rescue dogs…! There are so many lovely dogs wondering around out there and they all deserve a warm and loving home. So far I live in a small appartment, but one day I’ll have my Mother’s house with a garden and then my husband and I will rescue a (big) dog from the streets and give him a home. That’s already agreed on. I think we’ll also include some cats.
Thanks for the giveaway and may Chloe’s big paw choose my number 😀
We have two rescue cats. A dainty black and white huntress who has recently turned into a lap seeking missile after years of aloofness and a 9 kilo ginger sloth full of purring and demands. They enrich our lives.
Today was Eau d’Italie’s Sienne a l’Hiver a quiet reflective scent that I needed as it took me 2 sweaty hours to hang a heavy sliding door by myself. But I did it and I feel very self-sufficient and accomplished. I think I only swore once.
Dang, it threw out my first version which had ‘Gorgeous as always Musette’ as the opening. I do love your posts.
Musette, you are the greatest. You know that expression that goes something like this: he could read the phone book out loud and make it sound exciting? That’s how I think of you and your tales of ordinary life. What a pleasure it is to read your posts!
Since I married almost ten years ago, I am only allowed two rescue dogs ;-). On the other hand my husband is the most patient dad to rescues ever, and when he says “forever home” he means it. Tonight I was watching my big guardian dog Jack, who formerly hated men, sleeping with his head on my husband’s feet, and thinking that the human-dog bond moves in mysterious ways. I hope for all the best for Ms. Chloe, and thanks for giving her respite!
Oh, and please do enter me, because ai am crazy about Mohur Extrait and would love to smell it again.
I have two Lab rescues here. Right now, my mom is helping my sister out in Virginia and the eldest Lab has to be glued to my side right now. The youngest is handling this just fine. Fostering wouldn’t work for my family because we would probably take every one that we get and we can only handle 3 dogs at best. Today was a debate between wearing vintage Givenchy III and no 19. Perfume wise, I have no clue to what I will wear.